دَعَاهُ وَرقْمُ اللَّيلِ بالبَرْقِ مُذْهَبُ

دَعَاهُ وَرقْمُ اللَّيلِ بالبَرْقِ مُذْهَبُ

هَوىً بِكَ لَبَّاهُ الفُؤَادُ المُعَذَّبُ

هَوىً بِكَ لَبَّاهُ الفُؤَادُ المُعَذَّبُ

It was summoned while night's embroidery was gilded with lightning,

The night in its dark robes called to him as the lightning flashed,

by love for you, whose call the tormented heart answered,

My longing heart is infatuated with you and tortured,

لِطَيْفٍ لَطيفٍ من خيالِكَ طَارِقٍ

لِطَيْفٍ لَطيفٍ من خيالِكَ طَارِقٍ

بِلَيْلٍ بَليلٍ فيهِ للسُّحْبِ مَسْحَبُ

بِلَيْلٍ بَليلٍ فيهِ للسُّحْبِ مَسْحَبُ

for a gentle phantom from your image, visiting by night,

By a gentle apparition of your image appearing

on a damp night through which the clouds trailed.

In a desolate night filled with clouds,

بِرُوحي يا طَيْفَ الحَبيبِ مُحافِظاً

بِرُوحي يا طَيْفَ الحَبيبِ مُحافِظاً

عَلَى العَهْدِ يَدْنُو كَيْفَ شِئْتُ ويقْرُبُ

عَلَى العَهْدِ يَدْنُو كَيْفَ شِئْتُ ويقْرُبُ

My soul be your ransom, O phantom of the beloved, faithful

With my spirit, O beloved's apparition, I keep

to the pledge, drawing near as I wish and coming close.

My promise, drawing near however I wish and coming closer,

وَمَنْ كُلَّما عاتَبْتُه رَقَّ قَلْبُهُ

وَمَنْ كُلَّما عاتَبْتُه رَقَّ قَلْبُهُ

وَأَقْسَم لا يَجْني وَلا يَتَجَنَّبُ

وَأَقْسَم لا يَجْني وَلا يَتَجَنَّبُ

And one whose heart softened whenever I reproached him,

And he whose heart melts whenever I reproach him

and who swore he would neither do wrong nor keep away.

And swears he will neither wrong nor avoid me,

يُعَلِّمُهُ فَرْطَ القَسَاوَةِ أَهْلُهُ

يُعَلِّمُهُ فَرْطَ القَسَاوَةِ أَهْلُهُ

فَيَعْطِفهُ الخُلُقُ الجميلُ فَيغْلِبُ

فَيَعْطِفهُ الخُلُقُ الجميلُ فَيغْلِبُ

His family teaches him excessive cruelty,

His people teach him the height of harshness,

yet his fine character softens him and prevails.

But his noble nature prevails and he overcomes it,

يَشُقُّ جَلابِيبَ الدُّجُنَّةِ زَائِري

يَشُقُّ جَلابِيبَ الدُّجُنَّةِ زَائِري

عَلَى رُغْمِ مَنْ يَلْحَى وَمَنْ يَترقَّبُ

عَلَى رُغْمِ مَنْ يَلْحَى وَمَنْ يَترقَّبُ

My visitor tears through the cloaks of darkness,

He visits me, rending the veils of seclusion,

despite those who reproach and those who keep watch.

Despite those who blame and those who lie in wait,

فَأُخْجِلهُ مِمَّا أَبثُّ عِتَابهُ

فَأُخْجِلهُ مِمَّا أَبثُّ عِتَابهُ

وَيُخْجِلني مِنْ فَرْطِ ما يَتأَدَّبُ

وَيُخْجِلني مِنْ فَرْطِ ما يَتأَدَّبُ

So I make him blush with the reproaches I pour out,

So I shame him for conveying his reproach to me,

and he makes me blush with his exceeding courtesy.

And he shames me for the intensity of my courtesy,

فَلَوْ رُمْتُ أَنِّي عَنْهُ أَثْني أَعِنَّتي

فَلَوْ رُمْتُ أَنِّي عَنْهُ أَثْني أَعِنَّتي

لَشَوْقِي يُنادي لُطْفَهُ أَيْنَ تَذهَبُ

لَشَوْقِي يُنادي لُطْفَهُ أَيْنَ تَذهَبُ

So if I sought to turn my reins away from him,

If I pretended to turn away from him, my longing

my longing would surely call to his gentleness: 'Where are you going?'

Would call out, "Where are you going?" to his kindness.

أَرَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ يأتي مُحبَّباً

أَرَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ يأتي مُحبَّباً

وَلا سِيَّما ذَاكَ الرُّضَابُ المُحَبَّبُ

وَلا سِيَّما ذَاكَ الرُّضَابُ المُحَبَّبُ

I find everything that comes from him endearing,

I see everything about him as lovable,

and especially that beaded saliva.

Especially that beloved, dimpled smile,

عَلَى أَنَّنِي ما الوَجْدُ يَوْماً بِشاغِلي

عَلَى أَنَّنِي ما الوَجْدُ يَوْماً بِشاغِلي

عَنِ المَجْدِ لَكِنّي امْرؤٌ مُتَطرِّبُ

عَنِ المَجْدِ لَكِنّي امْرؤٌ مُتَطرِّبُ

Yet passion never distracts me, even for a day,

Although I am never distracted from glory by my concerns,

from glory; but I am a man given to rapture.

I am a man given to frivolity.

وَمَا أنا إِلّا شَمْسُ كُلِّ فَضِيلةٍ

وَمَا أنا إِلّا شَمْسُ كُلِّ فَضِيلةٍ

لَهَا مَشْرِقٌ لكنَّ أَصْلِي مَغْرِبُ

لَهَا مَشْرِقٌ لكنَّ أَصْلِي مَغْرِبُ

And I am nothing but the sun of every virtue;

I am the sun of every virtue,

it has its rising in the East, though my roots are in the Maghrib.

Rising in the east but my origin is the west,

وَكُلّ كَلامٍ فيه ذِكْرَايَ طَيّبٌ

وَكُلّ كَلامٍ فيه ذِكْرَايَ طَيّبٌ

وَكُلْ مكانٍ فيه شَخْصِي أَطْيَبُ

وَكُلْ مكانٍ فيه شَخْصِي أَطْيَبُ

And every utterance that mentions me is sweet,

Every discourse in which I am mentioned is sweet,

and every place where I am is sweeter still.

And every place in which I dwell is most fragrant,

وَلمْ يُغْنِ عَنِّي أنّني السّيفُ مَاضِياً

وَلمْ يُغْنِ عَنِّي أنّني السّيفُ مَاضِياً

إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَ مَنْ بِحَدّي يَضْرِبُ

إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَ مَنْ بِحَدّي يَضْرِبُ

Nor has being a keen sword availed me

It did not benefit me that I wielded the sword in the past,

if I have no one to strike with my edge.

When there was no one to strike with my blade,

أَما وَالمعَالِي وَالأمير وَإنَّني

أَما وَالمعَالِي وَالأمير وَإنَّني

لأُقْسِمُ فيه صَادِقاً لَسْتُ أَكْذِبُ

لأُقْسِمُ فيه صَادِقاً لَسْتُ أَكْذِبُ

Indeed, by lofty honors and by the emir, I

By the most high, by the prince-truly I swear

do swear truthfully concerning him; I do not lie:

That I am truthful, I do not lie,

لَقَدْ قَلَّدُوني فَوْق ما لا أُطِيقُهُ

لَقَدْ قَلَّدُوني فَوْق ما لا أُطِيقُهُ

وَقَدْ قَلَّدُوني فَوْقَ ما أَتَطَلَّبُ

وَقَدْ قَلَّدُوني فَوْقَ ما أَتَطَلَّبُ

They have indeed burdened me with more than I can bear,

They have burdened me beyond what I can bear

and have indeed adorned me with more than I seek.

And they have burdened me beyond what I seek,